Cape Cod restaurant closes for ‘day of kindness’ after customers’ rude behavior

Owners of the Brewster, Mass., restaurant Apt Cape Cod closed their doors for the morning to treat their employees to a “day of kindness” after receiving verbal abuse from customers. 

Owners Regina and Brandi Felt Castellano announced via Facebook that they would be closed for the morning due to the “astronomical influx daily” of customers swearing, threatening to sue and making team members cry, the post said. They reminded customers that many of their employees — including the couple’s two children — are young and working to pay off college, according to The New York Times.

The final straw for the owners came when a man scolded a young employee for telling him he could not order takeout because the restaurant was not open, the Times reports.

“This is an unacceptable way to treat any human,” the Facebook post said. 

“We decided to close for the morning because we wanted our staff to know that they have value to us, not just as employees but also as humans,” the owners told The Hill. “Everyone should be treated with kindness and respect, no one deserves to berated.”

After the post, the restaurant received support from across the nation as other restaurant workers shared their own similar stories. 

As restaurants continue to reopen and increase capacity after the devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic, many are struggling to keep up with the rush of customers. However, the owners of Apt Cape Cod are hopeful that their actions will turn into a larger movement.

“The response not just from our own small community, but from all over the country has been humbling and overwhelmingly supportive,” they said. “And now we hope that our act of kindness for our employees turns into a movement of kindness for everyone.”